CLASSIC

FLAG CASE

© 2014 August Home Publishing Co.

Weekend Project

Deck copy.

classic Flag Case

A military-issued flag is an heirloom to be treasured. This case
serves as a worthy resting place for a commemoration of service.
According to military tradition, a display of patriotism, building is certainly a suitable spot for your
a solid-wood case is a fitting your own will make it even more flag. Plus, you have the option
method for displaying an Ameri- special to you or your loved ones. of building the case alone (next
can flag. And whether the case is Built of solid mahogany and page), or adding the lid and stand
meant to preserve a commemora- highlighted by splined, mitered (above). I’ll walk you through all
tion of service or simply serve as corners and brass strips, this case the steps on the following pages.

1 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 25"W x 317⁄8"H x 125⁄8”D

Solid wood raised

panel caps the
lid in style
Optional lid offers a
display area for
medals or
photographs

Display area made of

foam core panels
wrapped in fabric Brass strips
add a decorative
touch and secure
the glass

Splines add strength

and a nice look
to miter joints

Case sized to fit

Brass hinges American flag
connect the lid folded to
to the case specifications
(roughly 10!/2"
x 20#/4")

SIDE VIEW

Cap pieces
Brass strips secured overhang edges
with brass screws for of stand slightly
a consistent look Rabbeted cap
pieces lock
the case in place
Case bottom on the stand
is made of Stand rails and
hardboard legs joined with
sturdy mortise
and tenon
joinery
Back legs
cut to a Gentle curve
Cap pieces accentuates rails
form a thin triangular
lip above shape
the stand

Optional stand
provides a convenient
place for displaying
the flag case

< Built on its own, the case

looks great on a display
shelf or fireplace mantel.

2 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 3 24!/2
1!/4 a.
6#/4
4 1!/2
22%/8

%/8
3#/8
11%/16
#/32" x !/2" #6 x !/2" !/8
brass strips brass screw B

!/8" glass

22!/2° miter
24!/2
3#/8
A b.
CASE BACK
!/2

17@!/64 CASE BOTTOM

B C
(11%/16" x 22%/8")
CASE SIDE
!/8"slot
A
1!/2
!/8" spline B B

5
NOTE: Case sides 3#/8
and back are made END
from !/2"-thick VIEW
hardwood. Case
bottom is
!/8" hardboard #/16 c. TOP
SECTION
Cut brass to VIEW
5 match case parts B B
!/8"
45° miters cross- !/8
grain
#6 x !/2" spline #/4
#/4 brass screw
1!/4 !/8

making the Case Hardwood splines strengthen

At its core, the flag case is just
a triangular wood box. More
specifically, it’s a right isosceles
triangle with a 90° corner at the
front and two 45° corners at the
back. The case back and sides are
made from 1⁄2"-thick mahogany.
the mitered corners of the case.
Glass and hardboard rest in rab-
bets at the top and bottom of the
case, respectively, and they are
secured by thin brass strips.
Though the concepts are sim-
ple, the triangular shape of this
project presents a few woodwork-
ing challenges. But I’ll explain
each of those as they arise.
First, you’ll need to decide if
you want to build the case alone or
both the case and lid (see page 5). If
you’re going to build both, cut the
mating parts from the same boards
to ensure a good fit and match.
Then set the lid parts aside.
ADD THE MITERS. Once the sides and
back are cut, it’s time to miter the
ends. As shown in the main illus-
tration, the front ends of the sides

How-To: Miters & Rabbets !/4" dado

blade
Aux. A B
fence
A
a. A B
a.
B
B
B a.
END END VIEW
Tilt A B
blade VIEW !/8
22!/2° 45°
See page 32 Tilt blade
to build jig to 45° !/8

Cut 221⁄2° Miters. Clamp a case part to Cut 45° Miters. For the 45° miters, Rabbet the Edges. Bury a dado blade
the jig on end, tilt the blade 221⁄2°, and tilt the blade to 45°, reposition the rip in an auxiliary fence to rabbet the long
pass the workpiece through the blade. fence, and repeat the cut. inside edges of the sides and back.

3 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 Shop Tip: Cutting & Drilling Brass
have 45° miters, but the sides meet
the back with 221⁄2° miters.
A table saw blade won’t tilt far
enough to cut these miters with
the workpiece flat on the table. So
I made a table saw jig to hold the Auxiliary Double-
For more fence
pieces on end (refer to Shop Note- !/2"brass
on jig,
sided
strip tape
book, page 9). After using the jig see page (/64"-dia. bit
9 Brass
to cut the 221⁄2° miters, you can use with countersink
for #6 screw
it for the 45° miters, as well. For
guidance on both cuts, see the box
Non-ferrous Non-ferrous
at the bottom of the opposite page. blade blade
RABBET THE EDGES. Next the edges
Brass a. a.
of all three case parts are rabbeted a. FRONT VIEW
Tilt 1!/4
to receive the hardboard bottom blade #/16
and glass top as shown in the bot- 22!/2° #/8
tom right drawing on page 3.
ASSEMBLY & SLOTS. At this point, !/2

you can assemble the case by glu-

ing the mitered corners together.
The lower left drawing shows
you how. Once the glue dries,
the next step is to cut slots in
each corner to hold splines. This
is accomplished with the jig you
see in the drawings below. For
full details on building the jig, see
Shop Notebook on page 9.
After marking the slot locations
on the case corners, align a mark
from the 90° corner with the kerf
cut on the sled and clamp the case
in place. Now pass it through the
blade (middle left drawing below).
Repeat for each slot on this corner.
For the 45° corners, lean the case
side against the back of the cradle
with the back facing forward for
each cut (middle right drawing).
ADD THE SPLINES. With the slots cut,
all that’s left is to rip thin strips
Miter Strips. Tilt the blade,
and use a jig to cut the
strips positioned on end.
for the splines to fit them (detail
‘c,’ previous page). Then install
splines as shown in the right
drawing below. At this point, you
can gently sand the corners of the
case and apply the finish.
BOTTOM & GLASS. The case has a
triangular-shaped bottom made
from 1⁄8" hardboard. You can cut
this to size now. While you’re at
it, it might be a good idea to make
a second one to take to a glass
shop and have them cut a glass
panel to match. (If you’re making
the lid, you’ll need two glass pan-
els the exact same size.)
BRASS STRIPS. The hardboard bot-
tom and glass top are secured
Countersink. Use a drill Hinge Notches. Support
press to create the off- the strip with an auxiliary
center countersunk holes. fence as you cut the notch.
by brass strips. These strips are
mitered, drilled and countersunk
for screws, and then installed on
the edges of the case parts.
If you’re adding a lid, you’ll also
need to add hinges to the top edge
of the case back. This requires
notching the back brass strip.
The illustrations above show
you how to miter, drill, and
notch the brass strips. Before
attaching the strips, sand them
with 220-grit sandpaper for a
brushed finish. Then test-fit the
strips and mark hole locations
on the wood edges. Finish up
by attaching the brass strips and
hinges with screws.

Assembly & Splined Miters

Front
90°
Case corner CASE Back saw
Cut BACK
Band clamps %/8" Masking tape
into Cut %/8" protects sides
case Clamp
into workpiece
case to jig
Spline
See
NOTE: Apply light pressure page 9 Trim splines,
to avoid crushing miters to build jig then sand flush

Assemble the Case. Apply glue Cut Slots. To cut the slots in the 90° corner, seat it in Add Splines. Glue 1⁄8"-thick
to the miter joints, then use band the jig, and pass it through the blade (left). For the 45° splines into the slots. Trim them
clamps to draw them together. corners, have the back facing forward in the jig (right). flush, and sand them smooth.

4 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 a. !/8" SECTION VIEW
22!/2° roundover
17@!/64 miters
45° miters
F
11%/8 !/4
E
F !/4
1#/4 LID PANEL D
23!/4 D
LID BACK
E
E !/8"
glass 24!/2
LID SIDE !/8" spline !/8" !/8
glass
NOTE: Lid !/8"
top panel, sides, slot #/8
and back are
made from #/4 4 1!/2 Brass strip
!/2"-thick
hardwood #/8 1!/4"brass
#/4 #6 x !/2" Fh hinge 6#/4
5
brass screw c.
1!/2 TOP VIEW
!/2"-wide 24!/2
brass strips 6#/4
17@!/64

5 Side brass
4 b. END VIEW 3
strip
1!/2 1!/2 1 Back brass
strip
!/8
1!/4

add the
F 10!/2° &/32 #/8

Case Lid
Now that you’ve successfully
completed the case, you should
find making the matching lid
fairly straightforward. That’s
because its construction is simi-
lar. The joinery at the lid corners
is nearly identical to the case. And
a glass panel is held in place with
brass strips on the inside of the lid.
The differences are found at the
top of the lid. Here, a solid-wood
raised panel fits in a groove. And
underneath that panel, there is
an area for displaying medals,
patches, and other items. It’s
made up of layers of foam core
wrapped in fabric.
START WITH THE SIDES. After cut-
ting the lid parts to size, you can
miter them and rabbet the bot-
tom edge of each part following
the same procedure used for the
case (see the box on page 3). A
groove near the top edge of each
part accepts the raised panel.
And a slight roundover on the
top of the lid parts helps to
soften the edges. You can see
how to make these cuts in the
drawings on the left below.
RAISED PANEL. At this point, you
can turn your attention to the
solid-wood raised panel that fits
in the groove in the lid. Start by
gluing up a panel slightly wider
than the top’s final dimensions.
Once the glue dries, sand the
panel smooth. Then carefully lay
out the final triangular shape,
and trim the panel to size using

How-To: Add a Raised Panel

Router table
Router !/8" fence !/4" core
roundover F
!/8 table box bit Tall
fence aux.
Rip !/8 fence
fence D E D E &/8
!/4 F

Blade
tilted
!/4" dado 10!/2°
blade

Cut Groove. Make a groove Rout a Roundover. Soften Raised Profile. Establish the Bevel Cut. Tilt the blade,
in the lid sides and back using the top edges of the parts by shoulder of the panel profile and cut along the three
a dado blade at the table saw. routing a roundover on them. with a core box bit. sides to finish the profile.

5 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
Typical Plywood
endgrain
(#/4" shown)

Fold fabric at corners

your table saw’s miter gauge
with an auxiliary fence.
Now you can create the raised
portion of the panel. You can do
this with a two-step method at
the router table and table saw,
as shown in the How-To box on
the prevoius page. At the table
saw, sneak up on the thickness,
and test the fit of the panel in the
groove in the lid parts until you
achieve a smooth, friction fit.
Then sand the profile smooth,
and apply finish to the top.
ASSEMBLE THE LID. The lid assem-
bly is familiar territory. The only
difference between this glue-up
and the case is that the top panel
should be in place as you glue the
lid together. I found this actually
helps with the glue-up. The panel
helps keep the parts aligned as
you tighten the clamps.
Apply glue to the mitered cor-
ners of the lid, and also put a bead
of glue at the center of the two
short sides of the top panel where
Typical Plywood
it will rest inside the groove. Then
endgrain
use (#/4"
band clamps to hold the
shown)
assembly while the glue dries.
ADD THE SPLINES. Just as with the
case, the lid has splines added
to the slots at the corners. The
only difference is that the lid
has two splines at each corner
while the case has three.
You can use the same proce-
dure as before to cut the slots
and add the splines. Now sand
a.
Foam
core
Batting
Fabric
Assembled
lid
CROSS SECTION
Two layers of
!/2" foam core
the lid corners to soften them,
and apply finish to the lid.
DISPLAY AREA. On the inside of
the lid panel, I created a display
board for medals, patches, and
other memorabilia. The board
is made up of two layers of
foam core panels that are cut to
a triangular shape with a util-
ity knife. Then, a piece of bat-
ting, also cut into a triangle, is
applied to the outer face, and it
all gets wrapped in velvet.
The velvet is attached to the
backside of the foam core with
staples. The assembly is then
mounted to the lid panel with
tightly before stapling
!/2" staple
11
Velvet cut to
wrap around
foam core
!/8" fabric
batting
NOTE: Adhere
22 foam core panels to
each other, to batting,
and to lid with
spray-mount adhesive
spray-mount adhesive. You can
see how it goes together in the
illustration above.
ENCLOSE THE LID. Now all that’s
left is to add the glass panel and
brass strips to the bottom of the
lid. Here again, the process for
this is the same as it is on the
case: Just miter the strips, coun-
tersink holes in them for screws,
and notch the back brass strip to
accept hinges (see the box at the
top of page 4). Then fit the strips
to the case, transfer the holes to
the edges of the lid sides, and
secure the strips and hinges
with brass screws.

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

A Case Back (1) 1⁄ x 33 ⁄8 - 241⁄2 • (6) 3 ⁄32" x 1⁄2" Brass Strips (36" long)
2
1⁄ x 33 ⁄8 - 1721⁄64
B Case Sides (2) 2 • (2) 1⁄8" Glass Panes (115 ⁄16" x 225 ⁄8")
1
C Case Bottom (1) ⁄8 hdbd. - 115 ⁄16 x 225 ⁄8 • (1) 1⁄2" Foam Core Panel (24" x 48")
D 1⁄ x 13 ⁄ - 241⁄
Lid Back (1) 2 4 2 • (1 yd.) Red Velvet Fabric
1⁄ x 13 ⁄ - 1721⁄
E Lid Sides (2) 2 4 64 • (2) 11⁄4" x 1⁄2" Brass Hinges w/Screws
1⁄ x 115⁄ - 231⁄
F Lid Top Panel (1) 2 8 4 • (26) #6 x 1⁄2" Fh Brass Woodscrews

!/2"x 6"- 60" Mahogany (2.6 Sq. Ft.)

A B B ALSO NEEDED: One

24" x 24"sheet !/8"
D E E hardboard

!/2"x 5"- 72" Mahogany (2.5 Sq. Ft.)

F F F

6 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 E
NOTE: Cut cap pieces to c. SIDE VIEW %/8
REAR BASE CAP meet at corners and
22!/2° overhang inside face of
each rail by !/8" #/4
miters
C 3 END
VIEW
E
SIDE BASE CAP 1#/8
!/8
23

!/8 !/8
#/8

C
45° miters BACK RAIL d. SIDE VIEW
!/2
B 3 15!#/16 &/16
END
BACK LEG VIEW
1 3
D

#/8
D B
SIDE RAIL #/4 !/8

a. 1!/2 1!/2
&/16 e. SIDE VIEW
1

D
A !#/16"-deep
26 !/4
FRONT LEG mortise #/4
#/8 A
Inside
corner
NOTE: All parts
are hardwood.
Legs are 1!/2" C
thick, back rail
is %/8" thick, b. NOTE:
#/4
side rails are
!/2" thick, and Back legs #/4
cap pieces are &/16 mirror
#/8" thick !/8 #/8 each
1 B other
3 &/8 END VIEW
f. !/4
1#/8 !#/16"-deep NOTE: Cap pieces
#/8 !/8 !/8 E #/8 overhang outside
mortise
%/8 face of back rail !/8"
D
and outside face
%/8 B C !/8 of side rails !/4"

The back legs are eventually cut the opposite page. You’ll want
into a triangular shape. But for to start by cutting a V-shaped
now, simply cut all three leg groove in a 2x4 block to serve

create the blanks the same size, and set

two aside for the back legs. On
as a support for the leg blank.
Then, nestle one corner of the

Case Stand
the front leg, lay out two mor-
tises as shown in detail ‘a.’ Drill
out the waste, and clean up the
mortises with a chisel.
If you’re looking for a promi- CREATE BACK LEGS. Along with
nent way to display the flag being triangular in shape, each
case, this companion stand is the of the back legs also has a notch
perfect option. It features rock- and two mortises (detail ‘b’).
solid mortise and tenon joinery Note that the back legs also mir-
between the rails and the legs. ror one another. You’ll need to
START WITH THE LEGS. Speaking of take that into account as you lay
those legs, they’re a good place out and cut each back leg.
to start building the stand. Each A simple four-step process for
one begins as a 11⁄2" square blank. making these legs is outlined on
leg blank into the groove, and
create the notch at the top of
each leg as shown in Figure 1.
Next, rotate the leg blank 180°
in the grooved block, so the notch
is facing up. Lay out the mortise
location, and cut it at the drill
press as shown in Figure 2.
To make the second mortise,
remove the leg blank from the
V-block and set it flat on the drill
press table (Figure 3). After drill-
ing out the waste, use a chisel to
clean up the two mortises.

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 This is callout text
NOTE: This is

This is callout text

1 2
#/8"
NOTE: This is Forstner
Aux. miter
fence a. bit
17!/4END VIEW !/8
!/16
Back leg 3
blank #/4
Rip
fence %/8
Rip fence V-notch 17!/4
xt block #/8
acts as
s stop !/16 Back
leg blank V-notch
This is callout text block
V-notch END SECTION VIEW
NOTE: This is
block NOTE: Drill overlapping holes
lout text #/4"dado and square up with chisel
blade
E: This is

3 4
/4
Rip
16 a. fence B a. END VIEW
Push
#/8" 17!/4 This is callout text Carrier block
Forstner NOTE: This is board Waste
17!/4 !/16 #/4
bit Typical Plywood
!/16 endgrain Tilt 45° cut at B
(#/4" shown) blade corner of
#/8 45° leg blank
!/4 Secure blank to carrier board Waste
with double-sided tape
Typical Plywood
17!/4 endgrain
END SECTION VIEW 1!/2
!/16 (#/4" shown)

Now all that’s left is to cut the on the bottom edges of the rails cut the rabbet. Then rip each
leg blanks to their final triangu- and cut them at the band saw. strip to its final width.
d lar shape. Figure 4 shows you ASSEMBLE THE STAND. Thanks to the Now cut the miters where the
how. Once that’s done, soften mortise and tenon joints, assem- cap pieces meet at the corners.
the sharp edges and the bottom bling the stand is simple. Apply (They should each overhang the
Typical Plywood
of each leg with endgrain
sandpaper. glue to the joints, and draw the inside face of the rail by 1⁄8".) You
lywood (#/4" shown)
CREATE THE RAILS. With the legs pieces together with band clamps can use the jig shown in Shop
rain
hown) complete, turn your attention to to protect the fragile corners. Notebook on page 9 to hold the
the rails. They have a tenon on CAP PIECES. The only parts left strips as you cut them.
each end and a gentle arc on the to add are three cap pieces. As Once the strips are complete,
bottom for an elegant look. As shown in detail ‘f’ on the oppo- test their fit on the stand. Then
Typical Plywood
you can see in the details on theendgrain
site page, each one is a thin glue and clamp them in place.
opposite page, the tenons on the (#/4" shown)
strip with a rabbet on the top. When the glue dries, you can
side rails are different from the It’s safer to make these strips apply a finish to the stand.
tenons on the back rail. by cutting the rabbet on a wide In the end, you’ll have a beau-
After cutting the rails to size, board that has been planed to 3⁄8" tiful, handmade project that will
you can make the tenons at the thick. To do this, partially bury a no doubt serve as a fitting com-
table saw with a few passes over a dado blade in an auxiliary fence memoration of your or a loved
dado blade. Now lay out the arcs attached to your rip fence, and one’s service in the military.

Materials, Supplies & Cutting Diagram

1⁄ x 3 - 1513 ⁄16
A Front Leg (1) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 26 D Side Rails (2) 2
B Back Legs (2) 11⁄2 x 11⁄2 - 26 E Base Cap (3) 3⁄
8 x 7⁄8 - cut to fit
C Back Rail (1) 5 ⁄ x 3 - 23
8

1!/2"x 4"- 60" Mahogany (2.5 Bd. Ft.)

B B
A

#/4"x 5"- 72" Mahogany (2.5 Bd. Ft.)

E C E D E D

8 WoodsmithPlans.com WS20118 ©2014 August Home Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
 #8 x 1!/4" Fh
Table Saw Miter Jig woodscrew
2!/2
The flag case presents a few clamp it to the jig. Finally, adjust
interesting woodworking chal- the rip fence before making the Back
#/8 Top
lenges. One of them is creating cut (detail ‘a’). I also used the jig Fence 6
11 11
the 45° corners at the back of the to miter the brass trim pieces for 3!/8
case and lid. the flag case. For these cuts, you
!/2"-rad.
Making the corners requires just clamp the brass strips to the NOTE: Size top to 5!/2
cutting 221⁄2° miters on mating cleat as shown in detail ‘b.’ match width of 11
rip fence
boards. Since a table saw can’t
Cleat
make this cut with the parts lying a. NOTE: Back, top, and
Clamp case parts
flat on the table, I came up with to fence before
fence are #/4" plywood.
Cleat is 1"-thick hardwood
this jig to hold the pieces vertically. cutting miters
As you can see, the sled is sim-
ple to make. It’s just a U-shaped Zero- c.
clearance END VIEW
assembly that’s sized to straddle insert
your table saw’s rip fence. (You’ll Fence
want a fit that slides smoothly Cleat
Back
here.) A cleat aligns the workpiece b.
Zero- 4(/16 8
and backs up the cut. clearance
To cut miters with the jig, you insert
simply tilt the blade to the proper 3!/4
Top
angle (671⁄2° for 221⁄2° miters), Clamp brass strips to Clamp brass
cleat before cutting miters
stand the workpiece on end and strips to
backer
before
cutting
NOTE: Front ismiters
Slot-Cutting Sled for Mitered Splines 1"-thick hardwood.
Other parts
After assembling the case and lid in a couple of ways to cut slots are #/4" plywood
of the flag case, I cut slots in the on the case. First, align the 90° #8 x 1!/4" Fh
woodscrew
mitered corners and then added corner in the joint between the
Back
hardwood splines. This helps sled front and back before cut- !/2"-rad.
strengthen the joints, and it also ting those slots (detail ‘b’).
adds a nice decorative touch. Then, to cut consistent slots in
Cutting the slots requires a the 45° corners, have one of the
2
sled that carries the assemblies case sides clamped against the 10

through the table saw blade at the back of the sled. The case back
Guard
proper angle. The sled shown at should always be facing forward block
right fills the bill. for these cuts (detail ‘c’). Front
The sled consists of a base 1!/2

that rides against the rip fence, a a.

back that supports the case, and SECTION VIEW Side
8!/2" 6
a front that positions the case at 45°
the right angle. A pair of sides Back
6 10
Front
position and support the back. Base 5
And a guard block protects your Side
45°
hands from the blade. 6 Base
2
After cutting the parts to size #8 x 1!/4" Fh
10 !/8" kerf, woodscrew
and screwing them together, you centered
can use the rip fence to center the
jig on the blade. Now cut a kerf in b. c.
SIDE VIEW SIDE VIEW
the jig as shown in the illustration
Cut 90°
at right. Then you can use that corner Cut 45°
kerf to align the marks for each with case corner with
seated firmly case back facing
slot before cutting them. between sled %/8 forward and case
The triangular-shaped flag %/8 front and back side against sled back

case has a 90° corner and two

45° corners, so you’ll use this jig

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 MAIL Project Sources
ORDER
FLAG CASE
SOURCES
• Rockler
Woodsmith Store 11⁄4” x 1⁄2” Box Hinges . . . . 70391
800-444-7527
The flag case was stained with
Rockler General Finishes’ Brown Mahogany
800-279-4441 gel stain and finished with two
rockler.com
coats of lacquer. The brass, glass,
General Finishes foamcore board, and fabric were
800-783-6050 purchased locally.
generalfinishes. Manufacturers and retailers will
com
periodically redesign or discon-
tinue their items. So you’ll want to
gather your hardward, supplies,
and tools you need before you get
started. It’s easy to adjust dimen-
sions or drill different-sized holes
to suit your hardware.

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